Suction cleaner



April 2 1946 G. R. coss 2,391,537

SUCTION CLEANER v Fuga Aug. 4. 1944 Patented Apr. 2, 1946 2,397,537 sUc'rIoN CLEANER George R. Cosa,

Detroit, Mich.,

assigner to Eureka Williams Corporation, a corporation of y Michigan Application August 4, 1944, semi No. 548,066

s claims. (ci. aos-'13) This invention relates to suction cleaners ofY the floor type and has particular reference to a new and useful improvement relating to the handle and handle lock therefor;

The principal object of the invention is to provide a new and more elclent handle and handle lock for a suction cleaner of the floor type.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following speciflcation taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, of which there is one sheet and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a cleaner embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the handle lock; t

Fig. 3-is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the handle and the handle lock; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

A suction cleaner embodying the invention includes a body or casing I8 mounted on front and rear wheels I2, a dust bag I4, and a handle I 8. The casing I8 includes a floor nozzle I8 through which dirt laden air is drawn during operation oi the cleaner by an electric motor driven fan which discharges the dirt laden stream of air into the dust bag.

The handle I6 is pivoted to the cleaner body I8 above the rear wheels and includes a hand grip 28 which preferably is provided by a molded flexible piece of rubber or other suitable material. The handle I8 further includes a hollow tube 22 the upper end of which is fitted and secured within a suitable socket in the handle grip 28. The lower end of the tube 28 has suitably secured thereto a bail 24 which includes a pair of spaced, parallel arms 28 which straddle a lock member 28. The lock member 28 may be U-shaped in cross section and include duplicate spaced parts 88 which straddle an upstanding post 32 projecting upwardly from the cleaner body at the rear thereof.

I'he post 32 is provided with atrunnion or pivot pin 84 which extends through suitable openings in the parts 88 of the member 28 and laterally therebeyond into suitable bearing surfaces formed in the arms 28 so as to provide a pivotal mounting for the handle I8. -A bolt 38 extending through slots 38 in the parts 88 clamps the parts 88 against rotation relative to the post 82. The edges of the slots 38 may be serrated so as to prevent slippage.

The parts 38 have their upper periphery formed to provide a keeper or notch 48 and spaced shoultion sometimes being referred to as the parked position of the handle. -The position in which the handle is illustrated in Fig. 3 sometimes is designated as the operating position or range. A lock member 48 forming a latch is cooperable with the slot 48 when the handle is in its vertical position to lock the handle against pivotal movement relative to the cleaner body.

The latch 48 is axially slidably mounted in the handle and constrained against the periphery of the member28 by a spring 48 one end of which bears against 'a transverse wall in the handle while the other end of the spring bears against a collar 58 ilxed to the latch 48 to move therewith. Thus, when the handle is rotated in a clockwise direction from the position illustrated in Fig. 3 to a vertical position, the latch 48 will drop into the notch 48 and lock the handle I6 against movement relative to the cleaner.

A link 52 connected at one end to the latch 48 is pivotally connected at its other end to a bell crank 54 pivoted at 58 by a pin carried by 'a bracket S8 secured within the upper end of the tube 22. The other end of the bell crank 54 is formed in the shape of a ball and arranged in a correspondingly shaped socket formed in the upper end of the hand grip 28. By bending the hand grip 28 in a counterclockwise direction sufcient to pivot the bell crank 54 about its pivot 56, the link 52 will pull the latch 48 out of the notch 48 thereby releasing the handle for movement toward its operating range. The upper end of the operating range is limited by the slot 48 while the lower end thereof is defined by the' shoulder 42. The latch 46 rides freely on theupper surface of the lock member 28 between the shoulder 42 and the notch 48.

In order to move the handle I6 downwardly below its normal operating range, the hand grip 28 again is bent downwardly or backwardly sufficient to actuate the bell crank 54 to lift the latch 48 over the shoulder 42. The shoulder 44 limits the counterclockwise pivotal movement of the handle. As the handle is moved in a counter-A clockwise direction from its horizontal position. the latch 46 will simply ride over the shoulder 42 and thence into the notch 48.,

While the inventionhas been described with some detail, it is to be understood that the description is for the purpose of-illustration only and is not denitive of the limits of the inventive idea. The right is reservedto make such changes in the details of construction and arrangement i of parts as will fall within the purview of the attached claims.

I claim: f

1. In a suction cleaner having a body with an upstanding handle pivotally mounted thereon for maneuvering said cleaner, a handle lock including interengageable relatively movable locking members, mounted on said body and handle respectively, and operable for locking the handle against pivotal movement relative to said body and vice versa, said handle having a flexible hand grip therefor at the upper end thereof and means at least partially encased by said hand grip and actuated by flexing of said hand gripv and connected to one of said members for disengaging the same from the other in order to release said lock.

2. In a suction cleaner having a body with an upstanding handle pivotally mounted thereon for maneuvering said cleaner, a handle lock including a lock mountedon said body and a latch member movably mounted on said handle. said members being interengageable for locking said handle against pivotal movement relative to said body and vice versa, said handle having a flexible hand grip therefor at the upper end thereof and means at least partially encased by said hand grip and actuated by flexing of said hand grip and connected to said latch member for disengaging the same from said lock member in order to release said lock.

3. In a suction cleaner having a body with an upstanding handle pivotally mounted thereon for maneuvering said cleaner, ahandle. lock including a lock member mounted on said body having a keeper and a shoulder spaced therefrom,- a latch member movably mounted on said handle and engageable with said keeper for locking the handle against pivotal movement relative to said body and vice versa, said latch when disengaged from said keeper permitting pivoting movement i of said handle, said latch being engageable with said shoulder for limiting the extent of said handle movement, said handle having a flexible hand grip therefor at the upper end thereof and means at least partially encased by said hand grip and actuated by flexingvof said hand grip asomar y i and connected tol said latch member for disengaging the same from said keeper in order to release said lock or from said shoulder to permit further pivoting movement of said handle.

`4. In a suction cleaner having a body, an upstanding handle therefor by means of which said cleaner may b'emaneuvered, a pivotal mounting for said handle on said body, a member mounted on said body adjacent said pivotal mounting and having spaced shoulders. a latch member carried by said handle and cooperable with said shoulder upon pivotal movement of said handle for limiting the pivotal movement of said handle relative to said body, said handle having a flexible hand grip therefor at the upper end thereof and means at least partially encased by said hand grip and actuated by flexing of said hand grip and connected to said latch member for moving said latch so that it will not engage one of said shoulders thereby to permit further pivotal movement of said handle.

5. In a suction cleaner having a body, an upstanding handle for maneuvering said cleaner. a pivotal mounting on said body for said handle, a handle lock including engageable relatively movable locking members associated with said body and handle for locking the handle against pivotal movement relative to said body and vice versa, said handle having a flexible hand grip therefor at the upper end thereof, and means at least partially encased by said hand grip and actuated by flexing of said hand grip and connected to one of said members for disengaging the same from the other in order to release said.

lock. f

6. In a suction cleaner having a body, an up'-l standing handle for maneuvering said cleaner,

a pivotal mounting on said body for said handle, a handle lock including engageable relatively movable locking members associated with said Y GEQRGE n. coss. 

